Of Relationships, Love, & Reincarnation

Remembrance by Michelle Madow

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet. 

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.


I told Michelle that I think I found her book by fate. I happened upon it on Goodreads and I'm glad I did! I want you to go read this book, so I'll try not to spoil anything.


If you were to take a dash of Romeo and Juliet, a handful of Pride and Prejudice, and pinch of a Disney fairytale you'd probably come up with Remembrance. No lie. AT least that's my opinion.


Lizzie, short for Elizabeth of course, is like a real person. Actually all of the characters were pretty real. They weren't perfect and they didn't fit neatly into cliches- which deserves mentioning. Sometimes when I got frustrated with a character the little voice in the back of my head would go "Gomez, normal people act selfishly, change how they feel, are stupid, and are just trying to be happy."  

But while they were all real, that doesn't mean I wasn't annoyed at (and a little sorry for) Jeremy or that I don't think Chelsea would ever win an award for Best Friend. I did enjoy Allistar, his scenes were like those mini Hershey bars that add just a bit of sweetness to your day.


While Drew was tall, dark, and tortured (and handsome...with a handsome amount of dough to his name), I didn't have the immediate groan of "not again" I often get nowadays with those dark, tortured types.

This may be because of my other emotions directed at said love interest. Sometimes I wanted to slap him, then shake him while saying "stop this now, you ridiculous person! just be with her already! UGH!". Other times I was left in confusion, and sometimes I would just sigh and go awww.  And he had his knight-in-shining-armour/classic-lover-boy moments. A certain scene involving pieces of a pine tree had me in gleeful astonishment (along the lines of "no. no way. ahhhh...awwww...so romantic").

The reincarnation aspect was done pretty wonderfully- I believed it, instead of thinking how this would never happen. And one the things I love most about this book was the Pride and Prejudice references and parallels. Amazing!

Anyway go read Remembrance. It's a great romantic book that's sure to leave a smile on your face!

Rating

-Gomez